Description

For 17-year-old Rhine Ellery, a daring escape from a suffocating polygamous marriage is only the beginning...Running away brings Rhine and Gabriel right into a trap, in the form of a twisted carnival whose ringmistress keeps watch over a menagerie of girls. Just as Rhine uncovers what plans await her, her fortune turns again. With Gabriel at her side, Rhine travels through an environment as grim as the one she left a year ago - surroundings that mirror her own feelings of fear and hopelessness. The two are determined to get to Manhattan, to relative safety with Rhine's twin brother, Rowan. But the road there is long and perilous - and in a world where young women only live to age twenty and young men die at twenty-five, time is precious. Worse still, they can't seem to elude Rhine's father-in-law, Vaughn, who is determined to bring Rhine back to the mansion...by any means necessary. In the sequel to Lauren DeStefano's harrowing Wither, Rhine must decide if freedom is worth the price - now that she has more to lose than ever.show more

Review quote

Praise for Wither: A 'harrowing debut ... DeStefano has an observant and occasionally pitiless eye, chronicling the cruelties, mercies, and inconsistencies of her young characters... It will be intriguing to see how DeStefano develops [the larger world] as this promising trilogy progresses' Publisher's Weekly starred review 'Lauren DeStefano crafts an all too believable future. I loved the world, the romance, the writing - exactly the kind of book I've been craving to read' Carrie Ryan, New York Times bestselling author of THE FOREST OF HANDS AND TEETH '[A] thought-provoking debut, reminiscent of The Handmaid's Tale with a touch of Big Love ... Rhine's fight for freedom against the clock-and the dissecting table-will leave readers eager for the sequel. Give this one to fans of The Hunger Games trilogy or Ally Condie's Matched (2010).' Kirkus '[Rhine] proves herself to be a heroine who faces her situation with spirit and cleverness. The trapped bride and mysterious husband are straight out of Gothic romances. By stirring in elements of sheer creepiness with dystopia and the hot topic of polygamy, DeStefano creates a story that should have broad appeal' School Library Journalshow more

About Lauren DeStefano

Lauren Destefano earned her BA in English with a Concentration in Creative Writing from Albertus Magnus College in Connecticut in 2007.show more

Customer reviews

Firstly, I love this cover. I have loved both the covers in the Chemical Garden Trilogy so far but this is my favourite.
When I knew that FEVER was coming out, I asked Rosi at Harper Collins for an ARC. She said that HarperVoyager were sending them out and I would get it soon. Unfortunately, the first one got lost so I had to wait for another one. Luckily that arrived on Monday so when I finished my previous book, I picked it straight up.
I adored this book from beginning to end. I had not long read WITHER so the story of Rhine Ellery was fresh in my mind. Having been left hanging at the end of Wither, I was only too happy to be sucked right back in.
For me personally, FEVER was even better than Wither. Where I awarded 4 stars before, this is a straight 5 star in my opinion.
Lauren DeStefano's writing has a way of drawing you in to the deepest darkest corners of Rhine's world and leaving you trapped. Not that I minded, in the slightest.
This time around, Rhine and Gabriel are free. But at what cost? Surely nothing as good as their freedom should come without a price?
Washed up on shore, they find themselves being captured by Madame Soleski. A cruel and bitter ringmistress if ever there were one. Madame isn't at all happy that the pairl have turned up. She believes them to be spies or to have had spies follow them there. Truly a more evil woman I am yet to meet. (I found myself thinking that her and Housemaster Vaughn would make a great couple. Bitter, twisted, perfect for each other).
Rhine and Gabriel find themselves thrust into a world that is no better than the world they came from. They are drugged, forced to work in Madame's twisted carnival. Rhine is to be her star attraction, her 'Goldenrod'. From one life where she is forced to do things others want her to, to yet another world where she must do things against her will for the entertainment of Madame and her clients.
I couldn't help but feel sorry for Rhine being 'free' of Housemaster Vaughn and the life she had. It seemed to me that maybe, she might have been better off where she was.
For this young couple, the road to freedom is a long and fraught journey. What's worse is that Housemaster Vaughn is still determined to find Rhine and bring her back to the mansion. At any cost.
Will she ever be free? Will she ever find Rowan, her twin?
The emotions in this book made me well up with tears more than once. I can honestly say I didn't really feel happy. There were just times when I felt a little less sad.
I can't wait to see what happens in the final book in this trilogy. I can't help but hope that there will be a little ray of light to penetrate the darkness that Rhine is in. Whilst I know that the road must be rough and it cannot go from such despair to the height of happiness, I do hope to see Rhine experience true happiness, be it just remotely. Even if it's only for a short time, it would be good to see one real smile on her face. After everything she has been through and is no doubt yet to go through, I hope there can be one shining moment for her.
Thanks to Lauren DeStefano for creating this Dystopian masterpiece. Thanks to HarperVoyager who provided this copy of FEVER.show more